Re-Turfing (advice please)

Hi Everyone!

I am a novice at this so looking for some advice. Bought a house last year, spent this year doing it up and now ready to tackle the garden.
Just layed the patio but have about 36m2 of grass/weed that is dead in places. It's covered in dandelions and weed. What is the best thing to do to returf the lawn?
I was thinking of cutting it, laying some weed killer, leaving a while, dig up dead grass and weed then add top soil then turf. Would this be the right way of doing things? The soil has a fair bit of clay, although the neighbours grass looks fine
I have attached some photos

Thanks in advance

 

Welcome to GC Ryan.

If the lawn is a small area then I would seriously consider killing the whole lot off and starting again as you have a lot of weeds in it. Sometimes patching things can take a lot more work. If you would still prefer patching then I can guide you through either one.

 

@Sheal thanks for the response do you have any suggestions on what to use to kill it off? I take it I kill it all, dig it up, add top soil then turf? Sound right?

Many thanks

 

You're welcome.

It is often better to re-lay a lawn in spring or autumn as it establishes better in the cooler climate and needs less watering, particularly if grass seed is being used.

Round-up is the most popular killer to use. It is a systemic weed killer which means when sprayed on foliage it works its way down through the plant to kill the roots and will neutralise on contact with the soil. The active ingredient is glyphosate and will kill just about anything it touches, so if you have plants that you want to keep you must be careful not to spray them. It's best to use it on a windless day so 'drift' isn't created. Round-up is not the cheapest to buy and places like Wilko's produce their own weed killer. It's worth checking out different makes and as long as it contains glyphosate it will do the job.

I would start by cutting the grass and then spray or water in the killer depending on what you buy. It will need to be left a week or so until everything is completely dead, in other words brown.

Dig or fork over the soil to a spades depth reducing lumps as you go. If you have clay soil its a good idea at this point to dig in some sand or grit to help keep it open. Level the ground and give the surface a good rake to give a smooth-ish finish. Firm the soil down by walking over it in flat shoes, don't stamp it down, then you can rake again to fill any dips or take away lumps.

The soil is now ready. Again if you have clay it would be better to use a couple of inches of sand to finish before laying the turf, but if you have sandy soil then use topsoil. Before laying the turf gently rake the surface loose so that the turf roots can get a grip. Lay the turf as you would a brick wall alternating the joints on every row so they are off-set. A word of warning, don't buy cheap turf, it's likely to have bad grass and weeds in it.

Finally keep it watered until it's established but don't feed it until next year.

 

@Sheal thank you so much for your advice! I will follow it

When is the best time to do it? Or if I am in position to be able to water morning and night could it be done this time of year?

 

You can lay the lawn now Ryan but you must keep it watered unless it rains of course. It would be better to water once a day after sunset if possible, or when it's cloudy. Two reasons......if you water in the sun the magnification on the drops could burn the grass. Also, the water will evaporate less overnight.

If you have any further questions don't be afraid to ask......good luck!

 

@Sheal hi, I have killed most of the weeds and now starting to dig up the dead grass as show in picture. I just want to make sure I am doing right. I am taking off about 3 inches off dead grass and finding massive weed roots, I'm taking them up the best I can but there are so many and many are snapping. I am then going to mix up the soil, lay top soil and then turf. Does this sound and look ok? Many many thanks
Ryan

 

All the weed roots will be dead Ryan, are you sure these aren't roots from plants in the area? Have you got any bindweed or something similar growing in your garden or your neighbours, they spread roots quite a way?

Digging down about a spades depth would be good to loosen the soil for drainage, then you can prepare the soil, firm and level it and lay top soil and turf. Loosen the surface gently with a rake for the roots to get a hold.

 

@Sheal thanks for the reply. Those roots seem to go straight down from the tops of weeds or where they have died from the dead top. They are so deep and big, but defiantly coming from the week. My worry is that my not getting them all and turning soil I'm spreading the roots so there will be more

 

They sound like dandelion tap roots to me @RyanOtekki and if they're not dead or fully dug out will re grow. More weeds will grow anyway as seeds can lay dormant in soil for years. If it was me I'd lay the turf and deal with any weeds as they come up or you could spend years waiting to lay the turf. You have dealt with most of them so whatever comes up now won't be such a problem.

 

Hi @Sheal

I laid my turf at the start of November and over the last few months it's grown and become green. However it seems quite patchy and places and where it's a little long it looks very thin lower down, I have attached some photos. Any advice on improving this?
Thanks in advance

 

On the whole it looks pretty healthy but it's rather long. Lawns can be mowed all year round providing there is no frost on them. I would give it a cut when it's dry enough but raise the blade height so that it doesn't cut it to short, this will give it some protection over the winter months.

We've had a lot of rain recently and that will wash nutrients out of the soil which in turn will make it a little patchy. There's nothing you can do about that until spring, when you will be able to feed it. So, for the time being give it a cut when you think it needs it and this will help the lawn fill out. It's like pruning a shrub, if you cut the branches it will grow more in their place to make it look thicker and bushier.

 

@Sheal once again thanks for your reply. During the spring what do you suggest I do to the really patchy areas? (Pics attached) I am going to cut it once we have a few good dry days!

 

Things may change between now and Spring so I think it's best to revise the situation then. If the bare patches need to be over seeded then you will have to wait for temperatures to rise. Grass seed needs a minimum of 12C to germinate and of course this temperature differs around the country. It would be helpful if you could put your area in your avatar box please. It helps when advising about certain procedures that differ around the country and if you're living in another country.

 

@Sheal thanks! I will update that now, I am in South West, UK. I will give it a cut and keep you updated.